The Pakenham Synthetic course is shaping up as one of the hardest tracks to punt at in recent times, with any Thursday night winners harder to come by than an odds-on pop down the straight at Flemington.

20-year-old Beau Mertens will be out to turn punters luck around however, the dual group 2 winner booked in for 2 rides with plenty of value at Thursday’s Pakenham meet.

Mertens will steer Ajuda ($11) in race 7 for the Hayes/Dabernig Stable before stepping on to Royal Disguise ($21) in race 8 for Mick Price. Typically a graveyard for favorites, or any horse backed in saying that the odds look juicy here for a gun jockey with very strong numbers at the track.

Beau Mertens has already 6 wins from 28 rides at the track for season 2017/18, his strike rate far superior to any others with a similar amount of rides. The Pakenham ruler has been placed a further 6 times, in the money almost 50% at the Thursday night punters nightmare.

Reaping dividends for backers in recent times, the $11 and $21 price tags of his rides will not scare the young man one bit, his average winning odds a whopping $19.63 for his last 100 rides.